Jest available copy



i UI

Patented Aug. ya, 192e.

scsi Avaaaete com UNITED 'STATES HAROLD M. OKANO, OF EL CENTRC), CALIEORNIA.

GENERATOR-PROTECTING DEVICE.

Application'led October 21, 1925; Serial No. 64,043.

This invention f relates to protecting devices for generators to preventing burning out of the same through continuous running or operation of the generator with thel circuit. thereto open.

It is well known in the art that the average direct, current- `generator of the'types-iu present use 'in motor vehicles for supplying current to. charge the battery and operate the electrical system of said vehicle,- will 'overheat when operated onan open circuit', and` asla result' of such overheatingthe insulation will be broken down and the circuit; connection with the generator short circuited.

An object/of this invention resides in p ro'- viding a protecting device for generatorsoperable primarily upon the. starting ofa generator to connect the sar'ne into a. .closed power' supply-circuit:` and operable secondarily upon said power supply circuit being opened to connect. said -generator to a grounded or return circuit connection to close the circuit across the .terminals of the generatorand thereby prevent. the same from running on an open circuit.

' A 'further object of the invention resides in providing a generator protecting device 'which will operate autornzu'ically through the current flow in the output circuit ofa' generator forlnaintaining the circuit closed ,to a power supply line.or to' a vreturn con nection to the generator When'the power sup' The invention comprehends 'other objects.- 'and improvements in the details ofconstrues'l tion' and arrangement of the parts which are moreparticularly pointed ont inthefollow" ing vdescription and -in the claims directed to a preferred lemhodinuznt of. the invention, it 4being understood, however, that' -various changes in the manner of constructingr the device may heniade for carrying out the invention Without departing from the spirit, and scope thereof as herein set forth.

Tfn-.the drawing forming part of this ap- Figure 1 is a plan view of the protector. Fig.v 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the circu1t-connection ot' the protecting device with the generator and the power output, circuit. v

A suitablehase is indicated at 1' on whichthereof on asuitable pivot 3 while the Igenerator when opened.

the arnmture'upon' the starting of the gen- .in'zFigs l andQ'of the drawings'in-which ivotally mounted the'arrnat-ure 2 at one -ing the circultto the Wires 23 connected with 110 opposite end is rovided with a pair of contact. points 4 a apted to engage the adjustable stationary contacts 5 and t3 respectively mounted in the brackets T and i respectively secured to the hase' l. A .sprin; Y strip 9 is B0 mounted in the f'eniral portion ot' the armature and ca :riw thel contact point l() adapted for engagement with the adjustable stationary contact ll carried in the supporting bracket l' also moulfet on the hase l.

An elmtro-magnet 13' is ui.ahl v mounted on the hasc'l and positioned so that its core 1l will direct the magnetic tieldthe'reofior operation on the armature 2, which'magnct is placed in the generator return'circuit and is adapted to he energized upon the engagement of the contactsel and 6 for 'maintaining the armature in position to close` the said contacts and close the returncircuit; vof the the power circuit thereof is t A n electro-magnet 15 has an operating coil 16 on the end thereof adjacentthe arma A ture which isadaptcd to primarilyv operate eratol to close the circuit controlled by contacts 4 and :3 through the electro-magnet 15 i' forming part of the power supplycircuit' from `the generator, so that 'upon'the said power-supply c ircuitvbeing closed, the final energizat-ion of the electromagnets V15 will Vmaintain the power: circuit closed solong as@ the generator is operated.`

'Corled' springs 1( normallymamtain the armature? 1n a. .central position as shown.

position the contacts 10 'and lliclos'e-thc cir.- cuit through the operating coil 1.v

In order tov thoroughlyunderstand theV operation of this generator protecting device, particularreferencc is made toFig.' 2 wherein the' generator is: indicated at 18 having a grounded return circuit 19 .vvhile the power circuit-:2O is connectedto the armature 2. eratorwith thepartsas 'sho'wnfi'n Fig. 2, the circuit through the armatureto the contacts 1G i d 11 is closed. closing the circuit to the operating coil 1G through vthe .wire'Ql while the wireconn'ectio'n 22 extends from .the coil 105 16T- to the ground formin ,thereturn cir-' cuit. This energizationc the coil loperetes the armature 2te nieve the. contacts 4 into engagement with thecn'tats 5 lfor clos-l Upon'the starting of tliegen- 100 i i maining portion of the circuit is closed and ,on the failure of the circuit the power from the generator consumed.

Upon the opening'for any reason of the power supply circuit, the electro-magnet 15 will become defenergized and the springs will return the armature to the normal position and in this return of the armature to the normal position, the saine will be moved past the central point shown in Fig. 2. U on engagement of the contact 10 with t e contact 1l, the coil 16 will then be again energized and the armature moved until these contacts 10 and 11- are disengaged, and contacts 4 and 5 momentarily engaged. Up-

to close, the armature will vibrate, which vibration will through the resiliency of the spring strip 9, permit the contacts 4 to engage the contacts 6 closing the circuit to the electromagnet 13 through the wires 2T and 2,8 to the ground forming thel return circuit to the wire 19 and the generator. Upon the energization of this electro-rnagiiet 13, the returncircuit to the generator will be main` tained in a closed condition so long as the operation of the generator continues, which will prevent the operation of the generator on an open circuit and also prevent the overheating thereof and consequently prevent damage as a result of such overheating.

Due to the contact points 10 and 11 being in engagement in the normal position of the armature 2, when the generator is not in operation, it will be readily appreciated that upon starting the generator the armature will be operated to close' the circuit controlled by the contacts 4 and 5 in order that the power supply circuit will be closed upon the primary movementv of the armature in preference to the return circuit to the generator.

It will thus be seen that the invention is entirely automatic in operation and con trolled by the generator and the energization of the power supply circuit thereof.

Ha ving thus described my invention, what I claim as new iszl. Means for protecting generators of the type used in motor vehicle power supply systems .wherein the motor vehicle has a power supply circuit and the generator has an output circuit for connection therewith;

comprising a protector unitI having a. circuit.

controlling member interposed between the output circuit of the generator and the power supply circuit normally operable to open said power supply circuit, an operating circuit having means operable for moving the member to close the power supply circuit @with the output circuit of the tor, means operable to retain said member in position to connect the-output circuit with the power supply circuit during continuous energization of said'circuits, and electromagnetic means energizable for operating the member to close the output circuit of the Izenerator independent of said power supp y circuit after de-energization of said power supply circuit, said last named means being operable after energization until deenergization of the generator.

2. A generator protector, comprising a movable armature in circuit with the generator normally'retained in one position, an operating circuit closed in the normal position of the armature, an electro-magnet in eluded in said operating circuit for moving the armature in one direction, a power supply circuit having an electro-magnet therein, said power supply circuit being energized through said armature in the losition effected by said operating circuit, the electromagnet in said power supply circuit maintaining the armature out of its normal position and said power supply circuit enersized as long as said circuit is closed, and a return circuit including an electro-magnet adapted for energization, following the degenerarV energization of the power supply circuit,

said return circuit being adapted to maintain the circuit through the generator closed automatically upon the deenergization of the power supply circuit. i

ture.

HAROLD M. oKANo.

In testimony whereof I ax my signa- 10,5 

